


We Carry On

by fairy_tales_are_real2



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Steggy - Freeform, Steggy baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 18:50:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7065928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairy_tales_are_real2/pseuds/fairy_tales_are_real2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy Carter finds herself in a bit of a sticky situation after the death of her true love Steve Rogers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In the days following the Valkyrie's crash Peggy threw herself into her work, she couldn't be sad if she didn't have time to think about her loss. So Peggy found herself working from sun up to sundown with very little sleep in between. Philips has to order her to stop to take in sustenance, or else she would have starved away to nothing. She would surely work herself to exhaustion if she had her way, anything not to think.

So when she became ill, she convinced herself that it was simply work fatigue and elected to ignore it and continue working despite the fact that she was nauseous and could barely stomach the slop the army dared to call food.

Every morning she would wake up, promptly vomit into the nearest receptacle the moment her feet touched the floor, and then proceed to clean herself up, put on her make up like it was battle armor and head off to the mess tent for another unappetizing meal. 

After about two months of this The Howling Commandos finally spoke up, Dugan expressed concern after she emptied the contents of her stomach behind a tree in Germany when the group was on assignment.

"You need to take it easy there, Peggy, you're making yourself sick." The mustachioed Commando said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slowly stood upright.

"Dugan, if I wanted your opinion, I would ask for it." Was the response she barked back irritably, part of her knew that his comment did not warrant such a response, but another part of her was too angry to care.

"It's not an opinion, Carter." Monty interjected, her countryman was looking at her with concern, "you're working yourself ragged, you need to slow down." Peggy scowled at the well meaning advice, and perched her hands on her hips.

"The lot of you need to learn to mind your own bloody business!" She snapped, "now let's get a move on and finish this job." Without another word she stormed off ahead of the group, ignoring how they watched her like hawks. She was fine, it was just fatigue for Christ's sake! At least that's what she told herself.

xxx

Not long after that mission Philips called Peggy into his office, the drab tent was always the same no matter where they moved, Philips' desk cluttered with papers and other debris. A map of the world with red pins stuck in it to mark the course of the war hung behind the desk, and a smaller desk that was always immaculate, with a typewriter placed on it for the corporal only feet away. As Peggy took her seat opposite of Philips she noted that the corporal was nowhere in sight, meaning that whatever Philips had to say was meant to stay between the two of them.

"So Dugan tells me that you're sick," Philips said without preamble, Peggy silently cursed Dugan and his big mouth.

"I can assure you, Colonel Philips I am perfectly fine, just a little fatigued as of late," Peggy said as calmly as she could. The look on Philips' face clearly said that he didn't buy it. 

"Look Carter, we all know that you've had a rough time, but this has got to stop. You're working yourself to death, you're hardly eating and according to your team you're loosing your lunch all over the place." As he spoke, Philips turned his attention to an assortment of papers on his desk, but didn't give Peggy a chance to protest. "So here's what's going to happen,Carter. I am going to personally escort you down to the infirmary, and you're going to get yourself checked out, and then you're going home. You've served your country well, it's time you go home." Setting his pen aside, Philips stood and took ahold of Peggy's arm.

"Sir, this isn't nessacary!" Peggy's protests were ignored as she was led into the infirmary. It seemed as if Philips had warned the staff that they were coming, because no sooner where they inside, then Peggy was rushed into a secluded examination room by a nurse. Annoyed, Peggy answered all their questions. But then came the question of her last Menstral Cycle.

When had been the last time she'd had her monthly visit? Peggy had been so busy lately, she hadn't even thought about it.

Color drained from her face as the answer finally came to her.

"March..." Two months late, Peggy who was never late it was like a punch to the stomach. The exam continued, no one had to tell her what was wrong with her, Peggy already knew.

Two months earlier, Steve and Peggy had been separated from The Comandos on a mission and pinned down in a safe house for weeks while they waited for the gang to catch up. It had been a dull time at first, at least they had each other for company. But the longer they were alone together, the more comfortable they became, until finally they were sharing a bed, and spending the sweltering nights in each others arms.

Now, Steve was gone, but he had left Peggy with something to remember him by, She and Philips didn't speak as he escorted her back to her tent to pack her things and allowed her to say her goodbyes to The Howling Commandos, before driving her to the nearest airfeild to board a plane bound for London.

"Carter, for what it's worth, congratulations" Philips said as Peggy got out of the jeep to board the plane. 

"Thank you, Sir."

"No, I mean it, it's not everyday that you find out that you're pregnant with America's new hope." Peggy placed a protective hand over her flat midsection, this child was her only living connection to it's father, Peggy refused to share it with an entire country, not only for her child's sake but for her own.

"Promise me, Philips, promise that you won't tell anyone about this child." Peggy said urgently, "I don't want to raise my baby in the spot light, please promise me."

"Alright, alright, I promise I won't say a word." Philps said, shutting the jeep off and getting out to gather Peggy's things. With Philips' word secured, Peggy exited the jeep and shook the Colonel's hand.

"Good luck, Carter." 

"Thank you, Sir." And with that, Peggy collected her kit and boreded the plane.


	2. Chapter 2

Needless to say, when Peggy's father found out that his only daughter was pregnant out of wedlock, he was absolutely livid.

Charles Carter was a wealthy Englishman who had served in the first Great War, and had always held a grudge against the Americans for not joining either war sooner. He had come home from the war and married his childhood sweetheart, and soon after became a father, but Charles had been less than pleased that his first born was a girl. Even after he had been blessed with a son, Charles always had seen Peggy as a failure.

 Peggy sat in an over stuffed chair in her father's study as the old man seethed, her brother Harrison sat nearby stunned at Peggy's announcement. 

"Pregnant, with some Yankee bastard's child." Grumbled her father after several moments of silence, "what's his name, I swear to God I'll kill him myself for deflowering my daughter."

"He's not a bastard, and his name doesn't matter." Peggy said trying to keep her voice level, "and he didn't deflower me, I was a willing participant." 

"So you're a slut," was her father's response, his face flushing red with rage, "you've shamed this family by being a loose woman." Peggy remained silent and stared dead ahead, there was no point in defending herself to her father, he would think whatever he wanted about her, no matter what she said. 

"Get out. I want you out of my house now, you are no daughter of mine!" Mr. Carter snapped, reaching for a tumbler full of whiskey pouring some into it's matching crystal glass. Peggy's jaw clenched in rage, she had known that her relationship with her father had been strained, but this was a whole new level of contempt. 

"You would throw you're only daughter and grandchild out on the street?" Peggy replied, hugging her midsection protectively. 

"I have no daughter!"

"Father, isn't that a little extreme?" Harrison asked alarmed, "no matter what she's done, Peggy is still your daughter, surely throwing her out on the streets is not the answer."

"The Carter family does not harbor whores!" Mr. Carter snapped, "now get out of my house before I call the police."

With tears in her eyes Peggy gathered her purse and fled the study, Harrison at her heels, she was half way out the front door when Harrison finally caught up to her.

"Peggy, Peggy wait! You don't have to go anywhere." Peggy let out a tearful laugh, and tried to dry her eyes, "you don't, come stay with me in my flat." Harrison said, handing Peggy his handkerchief so that she could dry her tears.

"Come stay with me, you can have your baby there, and I'll take care of everything." The offer was tempting, oh so tempting, but something kept her from saying yes.

"If you do that, Father will disown you, just like he did me." Peggy said carefully drying her tears and handing Harrison his now slightly damp handkerchief.

"I would rather be Uncle Harry to your baby, than that man's son." Harrison said putting his arm around his sister's shoulders, "besides, if you live with me I'll get to spoil you're baby rotten like a proper uncle."

_xxx_

Harrison's flat was comfortable enough—though at times it could be small, especially once Peggy's pregnancy became too obvious to hide—the spare room which Harrison had insisted Peggy and the baby occupy soon became cluttered with books and baby toys which Harrison seemed to buy at least once a week, if not once a day. And by the time Peggy was in her third trimester, a small white bassinet had been set up in it's place of honor near Peggy's bedside.

Despite their rocky start, everything seemed to be going swimmingly for mother and baby.

And as her due date approached, Peggy started to receive daily visits from the midwives. Even Harrison would pop in and check on her during his lunch break, so it was very rare that Peggy was alone for long periods of time.

The last Monday of October dawned gray and drizzly, clutching her robe closed with one hand (her now perfectly round midsection making it impossible to tie the sash properly.) Peggy waddled to the kitchen to fix breakfast, she had slept poorly the night before due to a muscle spasm in her back. One that still plagued her now as she put the kettle on to boil.

"Good morning, Darling sister of mine!" Harrison greeted as he came out of his bedroom, straightening his tie as he went. "How is my little niece or nephew today?" Peggy grimaced and rubbed her lower back, to ease the pain of carrying her child.

"Rambunctious as usual," she sighed as she stretched up to retrieve the the tea that was kept in the cupboard above the stove. "Will you be joining us for breakfast before you go?" Peggy asked opening the tin so that she could prepare her tea.

"I would love to, Peg. But I have an early meeting I have to get to, I'll see you this afternoon," Harrison said kissing her cheek and heading for the door. "Don't forget, the midwives are coming over for your check up at ten."

"I won't, have a good day!" Peggy called, after him, still rubbing at her lower back in an attempt to ease the ache there. By the time the kettle whistled, the ache had spread and intensified. With one hand pressed to the small of her back, Peggy carefully poured the scalding water into her tea cup. It seemed that no matter what she did the pain in Peggy's back would not ease.

"I hope you know that as soon as you reach your teenage years, you're going to pay for these last few months." Peggy said to her bloated belly, as the tea bag steeped in the hot water. "Mummy's going to take all sorts of embarrassing pictures of you, and show them to all your friends." As if in answer the baby kicked, "oh yes I will, I'll put them in photo albums too so that I can flip through the pages and point them out when your friends come over."

This time the baby delivered two sharp kicks.

 "Easy there, Little one, I'm just teasing." Peggy said forgetting the pain in her back for a moment and rubbing her belly, that seemed to cause the pain in her back to flare up, gasping the tea cup fell out of Peggy's hand and shattered spilling tea all over the kitchen floor. 

But spilt tea was the least of Peggy's problems, a troubling wetness had appeared between her legs, from her time as a nurse, Peggy knew that that could only mean one thing.

Stumbling to the telephone, Peggy hurried to dial the number that she had jotted down on a notepad next to the phone early on in her pregnancy, for just such an emergency. Pressing the receiver to her ear, Peggy tried to calm her breathing, becoming hysterical would do nobody any good.

"Nonnatus House, midwife speaking." A young woman on the other end answered, after what felt like an eternity.

"Hello, my name is Margaret Carter... my water just broke." Peggy said twinging at another pain she knew now to be a contraction. "My pains are only a few minutes apart and I'm by myself." After giving the midwife her address and being assured that someone would be there as quickly as they could. Peggy took up station by the door, leaning on the wall for support.

"Alright, Little one." She said to the baby who was eagerly trying to make it's way into the world, "you just got to hold on a little longer... I know you're excited but just stay put for a little while longer." Gritting her teeth as another contraction hit, Peggy wished with all her heart that Steve was alive to see this, the knock on the door pulled Peggy from her thoughts and made her focus on the task at hand.

Pulling open the door, Peggy allowed a young midwife and an elderly nun named Trixie and Sister Evangelina. Who ushered her to her bed and hurried about getting the room and Peggy ready for delivery.

"Could one of you call my brother? I'd feel better if he was here." Peggy said as Sister Evangelina helped her sit on the edge of the bed, which was now fitted with a rubber sheet.

"Of course, now lay back, we have a lot of work to do." Sister Evangelina said as Trixie went off to phone Harrison's office, "I've got good news and bad news for you miss Carter." The nun continue as she moved to the end of the bed.

"The good news is, your baby is on it's way and everything is progressing as it should for a first child, the bad news is that this is going to hurt a lot," Peggy nodded and tried to think of something other than the increasing pains. When Trixie returned from calling Harrison at the office, she went and sat next to Sister Evangelina, "Alright, Miss Carter, are you ready to get to work?" Peggy nodded, gritting her teeth.

Half and hour later, Harrison arrived home and was met by Sister Evangelina who was quick to assure him that both mother and baby were still in delivery and he would be allowed in once the midwives were finished with their work. Peggy could hear their muffled voices outside her room, trying to hold back her screams of pain as to not worry her brother.

"Peggy, Sweetie, you're so close." Trixie assured her, "but you got to breathe," Peggy grit her teeth, but tried to breathe through her contraction instead of scream. "That's it, Peggy, now I need you to push, it's time for baby to come into the world." Trixie said as Sister Evangelina returned with a basin full of hot water.

Peggy grit her teeth and clutched at the mattress as she pushed, crying out in pain against her own will.

"That's it, that's it, Peggy. One more big push and we'll have the head," Trixie encouraged as Peggy tried to prepare herself for the next push. With the next pain Peggy pushed as hard as she could, not even bothering to hold back her scream of pain for Harrison's benefit.

"Good girl, Peggy, that's it just a little bit more!" No sooner had the words left the midwife's mouth did a baby's cry split the air. Exhausted Peggy collapsed back against her pillows as Sister Evangelina gathered up the baby and took it away to clean it up.

"What is it?" Peggy asked following the nun's every move from where she lay. "Is my baby alright?"

"Everything is fine," Trixie assured handing Sister Evangelina something to swaddle the baby in, "you've given birth to a very beautiful and healthy baby girl." Tears filled Peggy's eyes as she relaxed against the pillows. For months she had been trying to think of a name for her and Steve's child, now only one seemed to fit.

"Sarah..." reaching out for her baby as Sister Evangelina placed the tiny babe in her arms, she could already see parts of Steve in her infant daughter's face, she had her father's thick, dark eyelashes and his blonde locks. While the rest of her was a perfect balance of both of her parents. Placing Sarah on her chest, Peggy couldn't help the smile that split her face when Sarah's cries quieted. 

"I'll let your bother know that he's a uncle," Sister Evangelina said as she and Trixie finished cleaning Peggy and the baby up. Peggy nodded and never took her eyes from Sarah's sweet face. Within moments Harrison was at her bedside clutching a brand new teddy bear in one hand.

"Let me see her, Peg, I want to meet my niece properly." Peggy smiled and adjusted Sarah's blanket so Harrison could see her face. "Well, aren't you the prettiest little girl in the world?" The baby opened her eyes, revealing her eyes to be the ever familiar Carter brown. "What did you name her?"

"Sarah, after her grandmother, Sarah Rose Rogers." Peggy said fondly stroking her daughter's soft cheek with her finger. 

"Rogers, not Carter?" Harrison asked as little Sarah snuggled closer to Peggy's warmth in search of milk, Peggy smiled softly and pressed a kiss to the soft layer of peach fuzz atop her daughter's head.

"No, not Carter." Peggy said firmly, "She is her father's as well as mine, she will carry his name, she will be his only child after all." Harrison smiled and tucked the new teddy bear into Sarah's blanket.

"I'll leave you two alone," he said kissing Peggy's forehead, "I'm so proud of you Peg, you did so wonderful today."

Once Harrison had gone to see the midwives out, Peggy adjusted her top and let Sarah nurse. 

"You are so loved, my little darling... so loved, and I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure you know just how much your daddy would have loved you." Peggy whispered, cradling her daughter closer in a show of motherly love.


End file.
